Contents

Appearance and Character

History

It was the fear of dragons, and of their presence, that gave birth to the Shepherd. His name has been lost to history. Some suppose he was a poor beggar, others that he might have been one of the Poor Fellows who, though outlawed and disbanded, still stubbornly haunted the realm. Whoever he was, he began to preach in the Cobbler's Square, saying that the dragons were demons, the spawn of godless Valyria, and the doom of men. Scores listened—then hundreds, then thousands. Fear begat anger, and anger begat a thirst for blood. And when the Shepherd announced that the city would be saved only when the city was cleansed of dragons, people listened.[2]

The Dance of the Dragons

During the riots in King's Landing the Shepherd began to rant against dragons, not just the dragons that were coming to attack the city but all dragons everywhere. The half-crazed crowd listened to him preach and after he was done ten thousand throats cried "Kill them! Kill them!", and much of the mob headed for the Dragonpit, where three of the blacks' dragons and one of the greens' dragons dwelled.[1]

After the Storming of the Dragonpit and Rhaenyra's flight, the Shepherd and his mob ruled much of the city. Other factions of rioters seized control of other parts of the city, particularly Trystane Truefyre at the Red Keep itself on Aegon's Hill and Gaemon Palehair on Visenya's Hill. Eventually, Aegon II recovered enough strength to join the fresh armies of the Stormlands led by Borros Baratheon to retake the city. The Shepherd's fate has not yet been revealed.[2]